Teaching Your Dog To Use A Doggy Door
If you have just gotten a doggy door installed, it shouldn’t be too difficult to teach your dog to use it and it shouldn’t take more than a few days. Of course, there may be some dogs that’ll sniff around the door to check it out or others that’ll just look and zip through it. Most dogs will require a certain amount of time to see this new door as their new way of going out of the house and coming back, and you need to help your dog understand this idea.
Some Simple Training Tips
Actually, it’s not difficult at all to train your dog to understand that a new door has been installed, although it may take some patience of your part, just follow the instructions that come with the door on how to install it and train your dog. Remember that when you install something new and movable, like a doggy door, it will make sounds that your not familiar with, and that your dog might find scary.
The first thing to do with a dog that’s reluctant to go through the door is open the flap with one hand so that the dog can see the outside of the house, and gently push it with the other hand. To make this more effective, it is recommended that a person stands on the other side of the doggy door with a piece of food that the dog likes or the dog’s favorite toy.
You can also train your dog by playing with him. If you’ve ever played fetch with your dog, then use that; throw a toy to the inside of the house, preferably through the flap of the doggy door, which someone would be keeping open. Your dog will go through the doggy door when you hold the flap to one side, but will refuse to go outside on his own. This is normal, and your dog will eventually be more excited than afraid. You can help your dog by pushing it gently after he has caught the toy.
You can use the same process to make the dog come into the house for foor or rest. Never scold or punish your dog because he hesitates to use the doggy door, all you’re going to do is make it think the door is wrong or bad. Try the reward system instead.
If you know of any relative or friend who uses a doggy door for their dog, it’ll be helpful for your dog to see this other dog, and this will speed up the training process. Very often, dogs imitate other dogs, specially if they are rewarded by their human masters, and it will make training easier for you.
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Tags: doggy door, pet door